The Victorian Opposition says MP Geoff Shaw should be expelled from the Liberal Party after he was incolved in a scuffle with an elderly man on the steps of Parliament House. Police are investigating the incident, which is the latest controversy involving the man who holds the balance of power in Victoria.

Transcript

TIM PALMER: The Victorian Premier is under pressure to cut all ties with the Member of Parliament who holds the balance of power in Victoria, after he was involved in a scuffle on the steps of Parliament House yesterday afternoon.

Witnesses accused the independent member for Frankston, Geoff Shaw, of injuring an elderly man. Mr Shaw claims he was forced to push a protester away from him. The police are investigating.

The state Opposition says Mr Shaw should be expelled from the Liberal Party, as Simon Lauder reports.

SIMON LAUDER: He's often referred to as the rogue MP. This is unlikely to change that.

MALE VOICE: He's punching back.

MALE VOICE 2: Hey, I got him on camera punching, it's alright.

SIMON LAUDER: Geoff Shaw was accosted by a group of taxi drivers protesting on the steps of Victoria's Parliament House yesterday afternoon. The scuffle that followed was captured on mobile phone video, which appears to show Mr Shaw pushing an elderly man to the ground.

MALE VOICE: I got you on camera d*****t!

SIMON LAUDER: Witnesses say 79 year old John Zammit was injured in the clash.

WITNESS: Pushed, punched. Another man came to aid the man that got punched. He got a bit of a smack as well.

WITNESS 2: Elderly gentleman, he got blood on his face as a result of Geoff Shaw's actions. My two children also witnessed it. They were stunned to observe adult behave in such manner towards elderly man. That's unacceptable to say the least.

SIMON LAUDER: Later Mr Zammit left Parliament with a band-aid on his face.

JOHN ZAMMIT: I feel like going down (inaudible). Thank you very much. Sorry.

REPORTER: Are you going to go to hospital, sir?

JOHN ZAMMIT: Sorry?

REPORTER: Are you going to hospital?

JOHN ZAMMIT: A bloke's come and see me. Not yet.

MALE VOICE 3: Not as yet, not as yet.

SIMON LAUDER: In a written statement Geoff Shaw says his actions came after he was yelled at, spat upon and hit by a large group of protesters.

EXTRACT FROM GEOFF SHAW'S STATEMENT (voiceover): I was forced to push a protestor from me and continued my way up the stairs to the entrance of Parliament House. Another protestor or protestors grabbed around my ankles as I climbed the stairs. I shook him or her off and continued up the stairs of Parliament House.

SIMON LAUDER: Mr Shaw resigned from the parliamentary Liberal Party in March, triggering the resignation of the then Victorian premier Ted Baillieu. Now, as an independent MP, Mr Shaw holds the balance of power. But he still holds his personal membership of the Liberal Party.

Mr Shaw is fighting 24 criminal charges over the alleged misuse of his taxpayer funded car and fuel card.

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition James Merlino says the Premier Denis Napthine should seek to have Mr Shaw kicked out of the Liberal Party.

JAMES MERLINO: Well what happened yesterday was quite frankly sickening, you know. Enough is enough. Surely after seeing that footage that we've all seen, Denis Napthine must expel Geoff Shaw from the Liberal Party. The fact is, as of today, Geoff Shaw remains a paid up member of the Liberal Party of Victoria.

SIMON LAUDER: Well Denis Napthine is the Premier but that doesn't give him any authority within the party itself, does it?

JAMES MERLINO: The Liberal Premier of this state surely has authority within his own party. Denis Napthine needs to come out immediately and seek his expulsion.

It's got to be the final straw - a 79-year-old elderly gentleman assaulted on the steps of Parliament by a person who is already facing 24 serious criminal charges and is the only reason that Denis Napthine is the Premier of this state today.

Denis Napthine needs to have the courage to seek the expulsion of Geoff Shaw from the Liberal Party of Victoria.

SIMON LAUDER: A spokesman for the Premier Denis Napthine told AM Geoff Shaw's party membership is a matter for the Liberal Party, not for the Premier.